February 5, 2026
Adams was first elected to the City Council in 2017. She served as the first Black Speaker of the New York City Council from January 2022 through the end of 2025.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has selected former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate for re-election. By adding Adams to the ticket, this is officially the first all-women ticket for the state’s top offices.
“I’m grateful to begin building the next chapter of New York’s future with Adrienne Adams, our next lieutenant governor,” Hochul said in a statement. “Raised by two union workers, Adrienne knows what it means to work hard and stand up for those who need it most.”
Hochul is facing current Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado in the June Democratic primary. Delgado selected India Walton as his running mate, who identifies as a Democratic Socialist.
Gov. Kathy Hochul Faces Delgado In The New York Democratic Primary
Whether it’s Hochul or Delgado, the Democratic nominee for New York governor will face the likely Republican nominee, Bruce Blakeman, who is the current Nassau County Executive.
Adams was first elected to the City Council in 2017. She served as the first Black Speaker of the New York City Council from January 2022 through the end of 2025, after reaching the term limits for her seat. She ran for New York City mayor but was unsuccessful.
“There’s too much on the line for us to let Donald Trump raise costs, rip away child care, and wage war on New York families — and Gov. Hochul and I are ready for this fight,” she said. “Let’s get to work.”
Recent polling by Siena University in January found that Hochul is the most favorable candidate at 49%. The poll shows that Hochul would defeat Blakeman and Delgado by more than 50 percentage points.
According to reporting from Politco, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to endorse Hochul in her reelection. While Mamdani’s endorsement could be a near-fatal blow to Delgado, it has sparked some criticism.
Hochul has not budged on her stance to raise income taxes on millionaires, something Mamdani is pushing to address New York City’s $12 billion budget deficit. The governor has not reportedly embraced Mamdani’s priority of free bus services.
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